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The 143-year-old cable suspension bridge that collapsed in Gujarat is one of the country’s worst disasters in years. The heart-wrenching photos show the after moments of century old bridge that collapsed in Gujarat’s Morbi. It is said that it was built using the latest technology available in Europe at the time. Its cables snapped and its walkway gave way under the weight of hundreds of sightseers, sending hundreds plunging into the water. Let us take a look at some of the facts about Morbi and the bridge that collapsed:
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At 1.25 meters (4 feet) wide and 233 meters (764 feet) long and known locally as the “jhoolta pool,” or swinging bridge, the structure was inaugurated in 1879 during British rule. (PTI Photo)
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Gujarat’s official tourism website calls it “a nostalgic reminder of Victorian London” and “an artistic and technological marvel of that period.” (PTI Photo)
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In March, the company that holds the contract for maintaining and managing the bridge, Ajanta Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd., closed it for repairs. (AP Photo)
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It reopened it on October 26. That’s the first day of the Gujarati New Year, which coincides with the festival season. (AP Photo)
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The newly reopened attraction was packed with people. Based in Morbi, Ajanta is mainly known for making clocks, mosquito racquets and electric bikes. Local news reports said the company reopened the bridge to the public without first obtaining a “fitness certificate.”(AP Photo)
